Laptop Issues (Lenovo Flex 14)

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MeGusta

MeGusta

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Hello Guys! I need help on a newly bought laptop. Games load really really slow like it was computers years ago. It takes around 3 minutes to start CS:GO and 1 min to start TF2 which is really annoying. Map loading is also an issue. Specs of Laptop: Core i5-4200u, 4 Gb 1600 Mhz Ram, 2 Gb GeForce 820m and 500 Gb 5400 Rpm HardDisk. Should I upgrade the Ram or HardDisk? This is a new laptop so I didn't expected such slow loading times. Thanks in Advance.
 
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jaguarskx
Slow load times is usually due to the hard drive. I do not play those games so I do not know if those are load times that you should be getting with a 5400 RPM HDD. If you want better load times then replacing the HDD with a SSD would be ideal, but that does mean spending more money.

Adding another 4GB stick of RAM is a good idea since that means RAM will be working in dual channel mode rather than single channel mode. This generally helps boost overall CPU performance by around 6% - 10%. It will have very little impact when loading programs though. RAM is cheap and easy to install.
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Tom Tancredi

Tom Tancredi

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Yeah also do google searches first BEFORE you buy to understand what your going to get. http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-820M.108477.0.html Your laptop is performing AS it was built, the GPU is a low end card and would be best performed when all settings are on LOW. Add to that big issue that your running a 5400RPM drive (OMG UGHS!!) is why everything is "slow". Normally people have a 7200RPM or combine a SSD to hold the OS and then a 7200RPM as the large storage device. This greatly speeds up 'loading' among other things (no waiting for Windows to tell the game, use this font to make the words in the sign for the game, etc.).
 
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jaguarskx

jaguarskx

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Slow load times is usually due to the hard drive. I do not play those games so I do not know if those are load times that you should be getting with a 5400 RPM HDD. If you want better load times then replacing the HDD with a SSD would be ideal, but that does mean spending more money.

Adding another 4GB stick of RAM is a good idea since that means RAM will be working in dual channel mode rather than single channel mode. This generally helps boost overall CPU performance by around 6% - 10%. It will have very little impact when loading programs though. RAM is cheap and easy to install.
 
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MeGusta

MeGusta

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So in this case I need to upgrade both the RAM and Hard Disk. In the hard disk part, ssd's are expensive so I might get the 7200 rpm one. And recently I heard of a hybrid disk are they good? and is it less expensive than the ssd one? Thanks in advance.
 
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Tom Tancredi

Tom Tancredi

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IF you have two HDD slots it would greatly behoove you to plunk down the $100 for a 120+GB SSD as your 'C' / OS drive and then the $49 -79 for a 7200RPM 1-2TB drive as the Data / Programs drive. A Hybrid or SSHDD (I believe it is) is actually those slow low end 5400 HDD with a small SSD Cache drive in front of it, so it runs as 'fast as' a 7200RPM, but cuts costs DRASTICALLY for the manufacturer over the cost of a full 7200RPM. The main benefit a Hybrid does do, as it runs 'slower' for the spindle (the circular platters) but the SSD Cache helps keep response times nice, it also (and main advertised reason to get one) requires LESS POWER. Which means MORE BATTERY LIFE, and for many portables, that is a big benefit if they are looking to try and gettin 6-8hrs of battery life.
 
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MeGusta

MeGusta

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My laptop has only one HDD slot and an M.2 slot. As what I have understand the Hybrid is slower than the 7200 Rpm, so lts better to just get a 7200rpm HardDisk? And regarding the m.2 slot can that be used also? Thanks in Advance!
 
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Tom Tancredi

Tom Tancredi

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OHH YES.. that is for a SSD on a memory card instead of a drive. You will need to get your service manual for your laptop to see how to get 'to it' as well as what your BIOS (which you probably need to update, usually do when you get the machine new) can accept. They used to only be 64GB or less but I seen some recent threads showing you can put as much as a 256GB in that. They are priced the same as a normal SSD.

No you misunderstood the drive itself 5400rpm but the cache on it (SSD) makes it as fast as a 7200 so it is comparable.
 
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jaguarskx

jaguarskx

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For faster load times replace the HDD. Not familiar with hybrid HDD performance. But a 7200 RPM HDD hybrid should be between a HDD and SDD.

More RAM will improve general performance because the extra stick means the RAM will operate in dual channel mode thus allowing data going to and coming from the CPU to flow faster.
 
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MeGusta

MeGusta

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Ok last question, I saw the service manual laptop and noticed that it has only one SO-DIMM RAM slot. My question is if upgrading it to 8 gb(maximum amount of ram according to manual) will make any difference? Thanks in Advance.
 
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jaguarskx

jaguarskx

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If there is only one SO-DIMM slot then the laptop will only work in single channel mode. You need two sticks of RAM in order for the RAM to operating in dual channel mode. Simply increasing it to a single stick of 8GB RAM will not improve performance unless you are running low on RAM. Meaning you are running a few programs and every now and then Windows give you a low memory warning.

For example, sometimes when I play Star Trek Online and have FireFox open on my laptop with only 4GB of RAM I will get a "low memory" warning message that I simply click to dismiss. Therefore, I will be installing another stick of 4GB RAM soon.
 
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Kamola Bijon

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Dear Users,

I strongly advise you not to consider buying the Lenovo model Flex 2-14 or any Lenovo machines at all.

I bought one recently and the screen has yellow spots in the corners and on the sides from day 1. Also the laptop rattles thanks to its flexibility I guess. The annoying rattling noise just drives one crazy.

I thought these problems will dissapear, but I waited in vain, they are just getting worse. Well, I am covered by warranty, so I thought no problem, even though I am out of the US where I purchased it online. But calling the customer service and struggling to get the right person, who eventually refuses to fulfill the Lenovo warranty obligations on the basis of the fact the receipent's first name is different from mine (though we do have the same family name, as we are family). Then after some time, the person agrees to consider the possibility of repair. And now they ask million questions and put different conditions to delay the return for repair, and just to make us so sick and tired of them, that we don't want to call them anymore, especially given that we don't have time to waste on the telephone. So the Customer service does everything just to avoid accepting for repair the defective laptop they sold us. I am deeply dissatisfied with the quality of Lenovo products and with the attitude of their staff.
 
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